I guess he (or she) was a pet rabbit. But, see, it appeared to me that this rabbit was free to roam the backyard of the Casa del Retoño in Tlaquepaque, Mexico. I saw no cage. Hard to believe it was wild. And, jeez, it was so unafraid, and open to being petted. With my cat, I never know. But with bunny here – game on!
This was four years ago. Julia and I were visiting a few spots on vacation, while I kept my eyes and heart open to what it might be like to live in Mexico. I thought I’d pick up the camera and speak a little, to express the very comfortable feeling I was having about being there. The weather was dreamy. The local people, so warm and friendly. And then this. Approachable, pettable bunnies.
I’ll be in Mexico for a few weeks, starting next week. I’m struck by the way this 2020 video set the stage for what I’ll be doing in 2024, staying for three and a half weeks, mostly in San Miguel de Allende, taking a Spanish language class and getting a feel for what it’s like to live there. (However brief, I know.) I did the same last year, in 2023. I went to Mexico for three and a half weeks. I felt so at home, so relaxed. I took the trip “solo,” though I never felt alone. Some of you will understand what I mean. (I used the quotation marks around solo because I wasn’t really by myself. I was aware of a kind of friendly, supportive, loving Presence the whole time. I’d had a similar experience when I came to, after brain surgery, in 2016.)
When I was there in 2023, I felt like I was simply living in the moment, free from fearful negative self-talk, free from worry, free from even thinking about myself in any capacity. Just being.
As I allude to in the video, I want to be careful I’m not slipping into using thoughts of living in Mexico as a kind of drug, a way of escaping my reality (living in the state of Illinois.) Nor do I want to use mood-altering visions of Life South of The Border as a kind of analgesic, as a dreamy fantasy place I might go to escape my problems. You know what I’m talking about: A geographical fix.
So, what to do when life does seem so appealing down there? In my case, the answer is, Go again and spend more time there. More will be revealed.
I’m curious to hear about your experiences in a similar vein. Or people you know who have delved into such adventures, in hopes of finding a new way to live. I’ll not be producing new posts in real time in the coming weeks, but I will be posting videos and commentary from the last 4 years about my experiences in Mexico from 2020 and 2023. (More here.)
Even if you’re not interested in Mexico, I encourage you to watch with an open mind and ask yourself questions about how you see your life in years to come.
Are you looking forward to your 70s and 80s living the way you do today?
How would you like it to be different?
Do you have the money to live in the United States, especially should you need increased medical attention or care?
If not, have you considered living somewhere else?
Is that even possible?
I’m looking at these questions now, while I still have my health. And you know, I gotta believe petting bunnies must be good for the blood pressure.
Calling Bunny Lovers